Vote for children services Nov. 5 to make sure local families are helped

One of the keys to successful child welfare efforts in Richland County is the partnership between Children Services and our juvenile court, led by Judge Ron Spon.

As a volunteer member of the Children Services Board and a former (retired) director of the juvenile court, I have seen this cooperation pay dividends in the lives of local children and families as the two entities work together to find solutions to protect children, strengthen local families and protect our community as a whole.

While any Richland County Children Services caseworker may testify in or work with the court, the agency has a designated team of six court-liaison caseworkers and a supervisor. The court-liaison team works specifically with children who have committed or are alleged to have committed unruly or delinquent acts and who also may need the protective services of children services.

At any given time, this team is working with about 100 children with cases in the court. The goal is to support these young people safely in the community without having to be placed in detention or some other form of paid placement, including residential treatment. This effort is often successful because of the excellent working relationship that has developed between agency Executive Director Patty Harrelson, her administrators and caseworkers and members of the Court, including Judge Spon and his magistrates.

This kind of cooperation is essential to child welfare. This team of caseworkers, like others, is partially funded through local tax dollars. That's why I urge your yes vote Nov. 5 for the Richland County Children Services 1-mill, 10-year replacement tax levy.

This levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home less than 10 cents a day - or about $35 a year. It will generate about $1.9 million locally and it will also allow the agency to leverage about $1.3 million in federal dollars. That money would not come into this community without this local levy.

Keep the cooperation going on behalf of local children and families. Vote yes Nov. 5 for Richland County Children Services.

Jim Kulig

Mansfield

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Vote for children services Nov. 5 to make sure local families are helped

One of the keys to successful child welfare efforts in Richland County is the partnership between Children Services and our juvenile court, led by Judge Ron Spon.